A Stitch In Time
by Libellule
Summary: Devastating events formed a rift between Ryo and Seiji. Five years later, they are called to arms to discover what really happened. The truth is more horrifying than they could have ever imagined. RyoxSeiji shounen ai
1. Chapter One: Surfacing

Summary:  
Devastating events formed a rift between Ryo and Seiji. Five years later, they are called to arms to discover what really happened. The truth is more horrifying than they could have ever imagined.   
Ryo/Seiji shounen ai drama R  
  
Author's note: I've been working on this story for a long, long time. It's the first I've ever had the courage to post, so please be gentle in review :)  
While I've used the Japanese names, and have tried to be as accurate as possible, I have taken liberties with the family histories of the samurai troopers-- it's my story, so why not bend it just a little? (Or throw them out altogether and write new ones *grins*) So as you read, please keep in mind that the brief histories are not samurai trooper canon.   
  
Warning: This story contains shounen ai, which implies male/male love. Please do not read if such ideas upset you. Please use your good judgment. This fiction also contains character death.  
Rated R for violence, strong language and sexual situations.  
  
Disclaimer: "Yoroiden Samurai Troopers" does not belong to me. I am but a lowly slug.  
Any comments or suggestions are welcome as long as they are constructive. Heck, if you just want to chat samurai troopers, feel free to drop me a line.   
Comments can be made at: Li_bell_ule@yahoo.com  
  
In the great words of Andy Kaufman, "Thank you very much."  
--Li

A Stitch in Time

Chapter One  
Surfacing  
  


Merged together in a steady blur, the landscape formed hypnotic streaks of earthy colors. Seiji did not remember getting on the train-- he just suddenly was. Smudges of greens and browns whirled past as he retraced his steps and vaguely remembered purchasing a ticket.   
        _Where am I going? _Seiji wondered. And yet, as the train irrevocably barreled over the tracks towards its destination, he knew. Deep down inside himself, he knew where he was headed.   
        He was going back to Odawara.   
        It had started months ago, when he had felt a small, annoying pang constraining his chest. Naturally, Seiji ignored it, as he did most things that he would rather not experience. The yearning expanded. The call to arms became so great, that he could no longer deny its presence.   
        The armor orb had remained exactly where he had hidden it-- in the bottom drawer of the only dresser in his room, locked inside a small wooden jewelry box that had once belonged to his mother.   
        Five years had passed since he'd donned his armor. Five years since he had been with the other troopers, his band of brothers. Five years since he had last seen Ryo.   
        Many thoughts trespassed through his mind, but only one sent shivers down his spine.  
        _He might be there._   
        Seiji forced the offending thought away. He could not dwell on Ryo without feeling a deeply seated pain. Betrayed or betrayer, he knew not which he was.   
        Seiji collected pain like a savage collects scalps. Souvenirs of the past were seared in his mind, and they surfaced in waking dreams and nightmares that would not fade. Without meaning to, he replayed them again and again, tracing over the memories as if with a razor, to ensure that the scar would always be there, that the pain would never die. A self-inflicted violence of sorts.   
        Visual reminders screamed out to him as the landscape changed from tall urban structures into nature's edifice, and Seiji could not help but think back on the moment that had destroyed everything.  
  
        It had been cold that day, but a clean kind of cold. The kind that makes one want to venture outside and breathe fresh air. Snow had fallen during the night, the first of the season and they had trudged unsuspectingly through the frozen field to their ruin.  
  
        Ryo, Seiji and Nasuti were the first to break the surface as they toiled through the barren terrain. A frigid gust of wind whisked through the icy tundra, making the three sink further into their coats.   
        It was the winter after they had defeated Arago, and laid any left over demons to rest. Months went by without the slightest misfortune, and the troopers began to relax, taking advantage of the break, being kids again. After all, they had been so young-- only fourteen when called to fight.   
  
        Seiji closed his eyes tightly, remembering all too well as Nasuti took those fateful steps forward, venturing farther ahead. She did not know that those would be her last steps...  
  


"This is where grandfather used to take me when I was young, I remember..." She said excitedly. Nasuti ran as best she could through the snow, reveling in her memories of childhood.   
        She stopped suddenly, feeling that something was not quite right there. Her warm breath crystallized instantly into visible puffs of white in the subzero temperature. Nasuti recoiled into her parka as the clouds stirred and the atmosphere blackened.  
  
        As if one could step out from behind the sky, a heavily armed warrior appeared from a flux in the air. His armor was a massive collaboration of many, seemingly fused together in violence. The red and black armor glistened in the sun and its reflection shone in the newly fallen snow.   
        "Your armors or your lives." He snarled. It was not an uncommon demand, so of course they intended to resist.   
        But, why had Nasuti gone ahead? Why had they let her?   
  
        In the instant between surprise and response, Ryo and Seiji realized it was too late already. It had been too late the moment she had stepped away from them.   
            Futilely, Ryo called out a warning to her, but she was frozen in place, terrified.  
        The warlord moved too quickly, as if the rules of time and space did not apply to him. He pulled his sword from the sheath strapped to his back and raised the blade high in the air.   
            Running against their fears, Ryo and Seiji darted forward, praying to any God that would save her.   
        The charged sword slashed through Nasuti's body with vicious intensity. She screamed in anticipation of the blade, but merely gasped as it pierced her.   
  
            Stumbling, they came upon her, disbelieving what had just happened. A spray of red blood stained the snow beneath her. It began to collect in quickly cooling pools.   
        Ryo and Seiji supported her between them, their loss unthinkable.   
        Her mouth opened and closed, unable to speak even if she wanted to. Her eyes searched their faces imploringly for understanding.  
        "Shh. Just hang on, Nasuti." Ryo said to her. "Don't leave."   
  
        To this day Seiji did not know what she had been trying to tell them.   
  
She stilled quietly, and was gone from them without even a whisper.   
         "No... oh no!" Ryo shouted, pulling her body to him, for that was all that remained of Nasuti. No chance to say goodbye-- no chance to do anything.  
  
        Seiji could hardly believe it, the reality turning his body numb-- or perhaps it was the snow. Either way, he cut himself off from the emotion, unlike Ryo, who's hurt was evident in the very manner in which he breathed.   
        Ryo laid Nasuti gently on the snow, her face matching the whiteness. Silence fell between the two, only the sound of frigid wind whipping over their prone bodies, to comfort them.   
  
            Breaking the quiet, Ryo's voice was low and gritty. "Bring her back."  
        Seiji looked up sharply, thinking he must have misunderstood. "What?"  
         Ryo raised his eyes to meet his gaze and said steadily, "Bring her back. You can do it. Kourin can save her."  
         "Ryo," Seiji started, shaking his head. "I cannot _heal_ her from death."  
        "You can--." Ryo shouted, grabbing him by the shoulders. "Do it!"   
        Seiji saw madness creeping into Ryo's eyes, a desperate kind of blackness that he'd never seen before.   
        It was impossible. Seiji knew it, yet he conceded to Ryo's demand all the same.   
        How he wanted to be wrong, to find a spark of life locked in her cold exterior, to feel life encompass her once more, to end Ryo's grief...   
        Until he felt the prick of numbness begin to render him unconscious, Seiji focused his energy, channeling it through Kourin to Nasuti's form.  
        "I'm sorry..." He breathed. "I cannot, Ryo. She is gone."  
        "Try again! Try again!!"  
         "Ryo--."  
        "Try again, damn you!" Ryo screamed with fury, striking at him. His clenched hands flew, trying to thrash Seiji into compliance.   
        He wordlessly caught Ryo's fists and tried to keep him still.   
        "You let her go!" Ryo accused, tears streaming down his cheeks. "How could you, Seiji? How _could_ you?"  
            Despite all his defenses, that remark had hurt. Seiji released his flailing arms, allowing Ryo to push him away.  
         Ryo stood shakily, glaring down at him. His blue eyes darkened with anger-- _blaming_, _denouncing_. He gathered Nasuti into his arms and carried her towards the house, leaving Seiji alone in the snow.   
        It wasn't until they had disappeared from view that Seiji realized the warlord had vanished without attempting to take their armor. What he'd taken from them was worth much more.   
  
        The days that followed became progressively worse. After Nasuti's death, a darkness had settled in Ryo-- that was the only way Seiji could describe it.   
            Friction-- a resisting force, a pleasure or pain sensation. There was friction between he and Ryo-- grating, unnerving. One encounter with Ryo left him raw. There was no talking to him-- Ryo was not a man of words, but a man of actions.   
        The other troopers noticed Ryo's unwonted behavior-- something was taking him over. Attributing it to a mixture of grief and guilt, they assured Seiji that it would take time, but Ryo would eventually come to his senses.  
        Except Ryo's hatred grew and before long, verbal blows led to physical aggression. Seiji was sick of it. Not one to be intimidated or harassed, he finally confronted Ryo.   
  
        He couldn't remember what Ryo had said or why he had let it provoke him. In the end it didn't matter. It had been raining though, he recalled. The mud had clung to his legs, weighing them down.   
        Shin had dashed out into the weather to stop them.   
        Giving him a menacing look, Ryo had told him to stay put or he'd be sorry. Seiji remembered Shin's voice clearly as he screamed for Shuu to hurry-- it had contained real fear in it.   
        It would take both Shin and Shuu to stop Ryo in his fury when he had clearly gone insane.  
        Touma had also come into the rain to try and talk sense into both of them. His words of reason did not make a mark. Neither Ryo nor Seiji had backed down.   
         He didn't recall who had started it, he only remembered thinking that he had to hold back. It was _Ryo_, after all, and Seiji had been certain that he was completely out of his mind.   
        They lashed out at each other, matching blow for blow, a frightening display of their skills.   
        Losing his footing on the drenched earth, Seiji awkwardly flipped back, barely avoiding Ryo's forward attack. Taking advantage of his lapse, Ryo suddenly charged Seiji, and contacted solidly against him. Sliding in the mud, propelled by Ryo's force, they smashed through the wooden weapons rack that sat in the yard.  
        They both lay stunned on the soaked earth, breathing hard, the fray apparently over. Reposed on his back, the steady rain pelted Seiji's face, the heavy drops running down his cheeks. Slowly, Ryo pushed himself to his knees, his hands sinking deeply into the mud.  
        Then a fateful pause of premeditation--  
        In a swift motion of blind fury, Ryo lurched towards Seiji, a mud caked weapon clenched between his fists.   
         Had the violet of Seiji's eyes not implored Ryo's blue, Seiji would have been killed. For whatever reason, Ryo's aim was off-- the blade missed his chest, but struck him to the left of his collarbone, into his shoulder.   
            Exhaling a gasp of pain, he looked up into Ryo's face and saw him freeze, blinking in confusion.  
        "S-_Seiji_?" Ryo uttered.   
        No sooner had the knife sought blood, had Shuu tackled Ryo, sending them both plunging into the mud.   
  
        Seiji's memory was colored with anguish, and he remembered only three things undoubtedly about that night.   
  
            _Shouting._   
         "What the hell is wrong with you?!"   
        That had been Touma fiercely rebuking his leader, his voice carried to Seiji's ears by the beating wind.   
            "Ryo..." It must have been the first time in his life that Shuu was left nearly speechless. "...that was low... You-- you could have killed him!"   
  
            _Hands.  
         _Fingertips of flame burned his flesh as they probed the throbbing wound.  
        "Let me see... _oh shit_." Shin had murmured. The rain had spread his blood quickly, staining his white shirt in deep, red splotches. Shin applied pressure to the artery to staunch the flow of his blood. He had been lucky, Shin told him. The angle was awkward and it would take a while to heal, but he would be all right.   
  
        _Ryo._   
        The look of shock that contorted his face was one he had never forgotten.   Ryo's eyes were so very blue-- deep orbs of shining disbelief.   
        Seiji clung to that blue.   
        Ryo suddenly dropped the blade as if it burned him. Then he staggered backward and ran towards the house.   
  
        That had been completely unlike Ryo. Ryo fought with honor.   
        It didn't make sense, but neither did Nasuti's sudden death for that matter.   
        The mounting tension had come to a breaking point that evening and there was only one thing that Seiji felt he could do.   
        _I abandoned them. _He thought bitterly-- forsaken them in anger.   
        Why had he left? Seiji was not afraid of death, nor did he fear Ryo's retribution. But he knew he had to go-- was it the armor protecting him?  
  
        The night he left was a blur. It marked the first of many blackouts. Seiji reacted without thinking-- lost deep inside himself, his instincts taking over.   
            Somehow he had found himself at his father's dojo, where he'd spent the past five years in a stifled daze. Life was not easy with his father. How could it be-- four fifths of him was missing?   
  
  
  
        Cherry blossom petals fell softly at his feet, littering the forest floor like snow. It was obvious that not many visitors had come this way. The feel of the earth had not changed and the outward appearance had remained amazingly close to what it had been five years ago.   
        Seiji realized that for the second time today, he had let his mind wander. Somehow he had managed to get off the train at the right stop. Memory suspending the present moment for so long, it was a wonder that he functioned at all.   
            Suddenly, like a yawn, he felt a stretch in his mind, a link reconnecting. Anxiety tightened the laces inside as a familiar presence filled him, pervading his senses. Turning only to verifiy the suspicion in his brain, Seiji came face to face with Ryo.  
  
  
  
Continued in Chapter Two: Confronting the Years   
  



	2. Chapter Two: Confronting the Years

Warning: This story contains shounen ai, which implies male/male love. Please do not read if such ideas upset you. Please use your good judgment. This fiction also contains character death.  
Rated R for violence, strong language and sexual situations.  
  
Disclaimer: "Yoroiden Samurai Troopers" does not belong to me. I am but a lowly slug.  
Any comments or suggestions are welcome as long as they are constructive. Heck, if you just want to chat samurai troopers, feel free to drop me a line.   
Comments can be made at: Li_bell_ule@yahoo.com

Thanks, Li

Chapter Two  
Confronting the Years  
  
  


Seiji stared at him unable to respond-- his body stilled, shocked into a stupor. Ryo's blue eyes were wide and honest. They shared the same genuine surprise in each other's presence.   
        Ryo's appearance had changed very little. Oh, he was taller now, perhaps taller than Seiji, and he had grown into himself, but his presence was the same. _Familiar._ And he still held a fondness for worn, blue jeans and a t-shirt.   
        "Seiji..." Ryo whispered. His name rolled softly off his tongue, such a sweet sound Seiji remembered, that hearing it now was almost cruel.   
        Then suddenly, Ryo flung himself at him, pulling Seiji into a tight embrace.   
         "I can't believe it's you!" He said, bubbling with the unfailing effervescence that was so uniquely his own. "You're really here."   
        Ryo pulled back. "Seiji?" Uncertainty in his gesture-- had he overstepped himself?  
        "I am here just as surely as you are." Seiji responded finally. Despite his intentions to maintain his indifference, he melted against Ryo's fire and stole a touch at his arm.   
        "How good it is to see you," Ryo said, but his eyes bore sadness. "You feel it too-- that's why you're here." Disappointment was not quite expelled from his statement.   
        "Yes." Seiji's voice was thick, distracted. Why couldn't he concentrate? "It's been a while, hasn't it Ryo?"  
        Ryo nodded, unable to keep a smile from his lips.   
        Still amazed, they stared at each other-- touching with their eyes.   
  
        Suddenly, impulsively almost, "Come with me?" Ryo asked, "Please?" His eyes were kind, suggesting no aggression.  
        Seiji smiled despite himself.   
        "All right." He said simply, allowing Ryo to lead him once more.  
  
*****  
  
        The house that Nasuti had shared with them had once been impressive. Now, it sat wearily in its foundation, moaning as the wind thrashed against it. The white paint was peeling off to reveal old, gray wood underneath and many of the faded, red shingles were missing, leaving gaping holes in the roof. Most of the grand windows were intact, but overcast with cobwebs and dust.  
        The property had previously been quite valuable, but after Nasuti's sudden death her parents were in such distress that they let the estate decay. They had planned to sell the sad, old house, until a hurricane over three summers back, destroyed much of the property and prospective buyers stopped showing interest. It was too expensive to upkeep.   
        With no caretaker, the grand house would continue to deteriorate until the Yagyu's were ready to deal with it.   
  
        As Ryo and Seiji made their way up the steps, the wood creaked and moaned under their weight. No one had visited this place in years.  
        Ryo pushed against the large, swollen door and it opened after one hard shove.   
        "I didn't lock it..." He murmured. "I never planned to be away so long."  
  
        A gust of stale air permeated Seiji's senses as he followed Ryo into the house. Covered with dust and gossamer cobwebs, a preternatural atmosphere loomed. Seiji peered into the darkened rooms, seeing his memories play in the shadows.  
        His eyes were not to be trusted, Seiji determined.   
        There was the couch they had all piled onto to watch the news, and later the Saturday afternoon movie. Yet, it wasn't-- this place was dust capped, dismal and spiritless.  
        Ryo went into the kitchen. Only, it could not be the same space Shin had kept immaculately clean-- chased Shuu out of just before dinner-- It was as if time stopped suddenly-- coming to a leering halt-- abandoning the life of the house.   
        Seeing this place now contradicted the only happiness Seiji ever knew.  
        "I can't..." Seiji whispered, taking a step backward. "I can't do this."   
Seiji fled the room, going back the way they had come, through the swollen front door, down the rickety steps--  
        Ryo caught up with him there, as he reached the dead grass of the front yard and snagged him by the elbow.   
  
         "Ryo." Seiji's voice was low, yet demanded attention. Ryo let go of his arm.  
        The warriors stared at each other-- a conversation conveyed through unwavering glances.   
        Ryo felt himself burn under Seiji's unrelenting violet gaze.   
        Shaking his head, his remark contorted with anger, Ryo declared, "_You_ left _us_."   
        "What choice did I have?" Seiji demanded, folding his arms.   
        "You didn't even say goodbye." Ryo's voice was rising with emotion. "You just took off like none of this-- like none of _us_ mattered."  
        "I am not proud of abandoning all of you, but I had little option otherwise."  
         "Nobody made you leave."  
         "Is that what you think?"  
        "Seiji--."  
        "No," He interrupted, taking a step closer. "Is that what you think, Ryo? Is that what you've told yourself?"  
        Ryo was afire with indignation, smoldering with a dangerous quiet.   
         "Are you _still_ so blind? Could you not see how much you--." Seiji halted, his hard glare boring into Ryo. He couldn't bring himself to admit, not even after all these years, how severely Ryo had hurt him.   
        "I could not save her, Ryo." He murmured. "It was beyond my power to restore Nasuti from death."   
  
        It would have been better had Seiji attacked him-- instead of _this_—guilting him with truth.   
        Ryo's eyes tempered. "I know that." He said quickly.   
        "Do you?" Seiji whispered, daring him.  
        Ryo swallowed. "Yes."   
        He'd been dreading and yearning for this ever since Seiji walked out. Needing to release this burden from his soul, and yet not knowing how, Ryo faltered for a moment in the silence.   
        How to explain what he barely understood himself?   
         "I kept thinking you'd come back," Ryo whispered. "Deep down, I thought you'd return to kick my ass." He smiled slightly. "I was terrible to you." He admitted. "I can't explain it, but I've spent a lot of time trying to remember why I was so angry. It was as if the day you left, my insanity left with you... all of a sudden, it was lifted and I was horrified."   
        "Then we both have regrets." Seiji replied quietly.   
        "Yes." Ryo took a deep breath. He closed his eyes and let the words flow from his heart to his lips. "But I need to say this. I _am_ sorry, Seiji. I've wanted to tell you for so long. I know I hurt you and I regret it more than anything else. I wish I could take it all back. I was such a fool."  
         "No more a fool than I."   
        "Forgive me..." Ryo pleaded earnestly.  
  
        He should be angry. He should be furious. Ryo had irrevocably changed his life and after five years, had only offered a modest apology for all that he had uprooted.  
        "...I don't know how to _be_ around you, Ryo." Seiji admitted. "My head is telling me that I should be angry with you, but my heart won't let me."   
        Seiji found himself _wanting_ to let it go, _wanting_ to be familiar with, and close to someone again.  
         "Forgiveness must be mutual." He carefully replied.   
        "We forgive each other then?" Ryo asked hopefully.  
        Seiji smiled and nodded silently.  
        A mixture of relief and gladness spread across Ryo's face in a lopsided grin.   
  
  
*****  
  
        A mighty gust whipped at the old house, causing the structure to creek and moan in the wind. Only the cusp of spring, the descending sun took its warmth with it, leaving the evenings in bitterness. The two warriors had settled into the living room, finding the other rooms of the house too cold and a bit too daunting to inhabit.   
  
        Seiji curled himself into one of the large armchairs, tucking his legs beneath him on the seat cushion, while Ryo stood at the hearth, starting a fire in the fireplace. Now that the astonishment of Ryo's presence had worn off, curiosity had taken Seiji over.   
        "What happened after I left?" He asked.   
        Ryo lifted the poker from the hearth and pushed at the smoldering embers, sending a flurry of orange flakes into the air. "We all scattered to the wind." He knelt on the floor and looked up at him. "Touma was the first to go after you left. He was furious with me. And you."   
        Ryo sat back, stretching out his legs on the floor, warming his back by the fire. Silence passed between them until Ryo spoke again.   
        "Shuu headed back home a few months after Touma left. Well, he was called back..."  
        "What happened?"  
        "His father had a heart attack. It was real touch and go for a while. He survived it, but now he can hardly maintain the family business. Shuu is going to step in."  
        "Taking over the Chinese food restaurant?"  
         "Eventually." Ryo smirked. "He told me he liked his family's food better when he didn't have to serve it."  
        Seiji remarked, "That sounds like Shuu."   
        "Have you heard at all from Touma?" Ryo asked.   
        "Only a couple of times in five years. He's in college, studying at Tokyo U." Then Seiji added, "But... I think it's mostly to get away from his family. Things have been rough since his parents divorced."  
         "That's too bad." Ryo said.   
  
        There was a lull in their conversation, until Ryo asked hesitantly, "Do you know about Shin?"  
        Seiji nodded, saying, "I got a letter from Touma, last I heard about either of them."  
        "I went to visit Shin once," Ryo began. "It was right after I'd found out."   
        Seiji listened patiently as Ryo struggled with the words.   
        "They had him restrained so he wouldn't hurt himself..." Ryo's voice faltered. "He-- he didn't recognize me-- countless battles, we fought side by side and he had no idea who I was."  
        Ryo paused again. "The doctors said he'd get progressively worse. That was two years ago. He's probably completely gone now."  
  
        Shin had fallen into hard times, slowly going insane. The sudden isolation was too much for him to cope with. He started talking about netherspirits and heavily armored warriors, which he fought against. His mother, not knowing what to do, had checked him into an institution and left him there for the doctors to deal with.  
  
        Ryo felt his anger swell. "I couldn't _do_ anything, Seiji. I've never felt so-- so helpless."   
         "There was nothing you could have done."   
         "If not me then who?" Ryo challenged. "If I had been there for him maybe this wouldn't have happened--."  
        "Ryo, you cannot blame yourself." Seiji said. "If you are to blame, then it is my fault too."  
        "You're not the one who drove everybody away!"  
        "I am the one who broke our circle."  
        Ryo sighed, raking a hand through his black hair. "What a mess our lives have become. If only--"  
         "No good has ever come from dwelling on the 'if's." Seiji said. "You cannot change what has happened."   
        "Stop making so much damn sense!" Ryo growled.   
        "You'd prefer it if I let you wallow in self pity?" Seiji asked, eyebrow raised. "Let you bask in misery?"  
        "Yes!" Ryo said defiantly, humor in his eyes. "If I am to be miserable I am glad that you are here to keep me company." Suddenly, the mirth was gone from his countenance, a sullenness shadowing his face. "I haven't had a companion for many years..."   
  
        Seiji suspected, with a deep sadness, what Ryo was _not_ saying.   
        "Where's Byakuen?" He asked gently.   
        Ryo visibly stiffened, his chest halting in mid breath at the mention of his beloved white tiger.   
        Turning from Seiji, Ryo stared into the flames of the fire, murmuring indistinctly, "He's dead."   
  
        The depth of Ryo's loss was immense.   
         Byakuen had been with Ryo longer than Seiji had known him. As he understood it, Byakuen was the only family Ryo had left-- his father had disappeared on an expedition, and had been presumed dead long ago.   
        "I am sorry," Seiji said, watching Ryo's back. He heard Ryo sigh, seeing his shoulders droop in defeat as he recoiled away from the memory.   
        "...that's okay, you didn't know." Ryo raked his fingers through his hair. "It was odd. I let him out one night and he didn't come back. I waited two days before I searched for him. I mean, sometimes he'd go out and not come back for a few days, but this was different. I never found him... but I _know_ that he's dead. I'd hate to think that a poacher--." Ryo trailed off, obviously upset.   
  
        Not wanting to think of Byakuen, Ryo stood and turned back to Seiji.   
        "Where did you go for all that time?" He plopped down on the hassock in front of Seiji's chair, a puff of dust escaping as he sat.   
        "To the dojo." Seiji's voice was surprisingly calm. "To my father."  
        Ryo looked up at him sharply, well aware of the relationship between Seiji and his father. From fragments of carefully guarded conversations over the years, Ryo had been able to piece together Seiji's past.   
        With great pride in his heritage, Sensei Date had raised Seiji, in a very strict, traditional Japanese upbringing, but not much else. It was with scorn that he regarded his only son, who resembled the wanton, American woman that had trapped him with her pregnancy. After only a few years of marriage, she took off, saddling him with a permanent reminder of his weakness-- his three-year-old son, Seiji.   
  
        "I had forgotten," began Seiji, tightly. "Just how much I dishonor him." Blond hair covered half his face, but it was not enough to obscure the torrent of emotion that raged behind his violet eyes.  
        Leaning forward, tenderly placing a hand on Seiji's knee, Ryo asked him, "How can that possibly be?"  
        "Gaijin..." Seiji spat, letting his anger slip through, as he tugged at his blond hair for emphasis. "I am his greatest sin."  
        "No, Seiji," Ryo said, daring to look him in the eye. "Don't believe that."  
        A hard glare from Seiji told him that this subject was not up for debate, so, like his hand falling from Seiji's knee, Ryo let the conversation drop. He had almost been there-- almost broken through the partition Seiji built around himself.   
  
        Things had not gone very well since the two had parted five years ago. It seemed that Nasuti's death was the stem of a long line of misfortunes.   
  
        As he listened to the crackle of the fire, Ryo felt sleep starting to creep up on him. He settled back down on the floor, leaning against the front of Seiji's armchair, his neck pressed into the seat cushion, his head resting gently against Seiji's knees.   
        "What brought you back here?" Ryo asked drowsily, eyes closed.   
        "A feeling." Seiji shrugged. "The armor, I guess. I don't really know."  
        "Nasuti led me here." Ryo disclosed quietly. He yawned, adding, "I know it was her."  
        Seiji didn't answer him, but Ryo could have sworn that he felt his fingers brushing through his dark hair.   
        "I think she wanted us to reunite." Ryo whispered, before sleep claimed him. "To make amends."   
  
        "Perhaps." Seiji murmured cryptically.   
        He hoped Ryo was right, for he felt that they may have been rallied for a much darker purpose.   
  
  
Continued in Chapter Three: Revelations


	3. Chapter Three: Revelations

Warning: This story contains _shounen ai_, which implies male/male love, _graphic violence_, and _angst_. Please do not read if such ideas upset you. Please use your good judgment. This fiction also contains _character death_.  
Rated R for violence, strong language and sexual situations.  
  
Disclaimer: "Yoroiden Samurai Troopers" does not belong to me. I am but a lowly slug.  
Any comments or suggestions are welcome as long as they are constructive. Heck, if you just want to chat samurai troopers, feel free to drop me a line.   
Comments can be made at: Li_bell_ule@yahoo.com  
  
  
Chapter Three  
Revelations  
  


Pale light filtered in through the dingy windows, falling soundlessly on the sleeping forms. Curled in the large chair, his legs drawn up onto the seat cushion, Seiji opened his eyes tentatively, letting them adjust to the morning light.  
        He had been awake for some times now, listening silently to the rhythm of Ryo's steady breathing. Glancing down at him, a slight smile upturning his lips, Seiji gently tousled Ryo's black hair. Ryo had turned in his sleep, resting his head against Seiji's legs.   
        Of all the places to fall asleep-- Ryo could have opted for any one of the other chairs in the room, even the couch. Instead, Ryo had chosen to sleep on the hard floor by his chair.  It was almost as if Ryo wanted to be near him. 

Why did Ryo's closeness bring a great deal of comfort to him?    
        Seiji shook his head, not allowing himself to entertain such a thought-- such thoughts led to trouble. 

Carefully, he slipped his legs over the arm, gently guiding Ryo's head to the seat cushion, trying not to disturb him as he rose from the chair.   
        Not more than three steps away, he heard Ryo groan softly, shifting his position on the floor. Drowsily, he asked, "What time's it?"   
         "It's early still, Ryo." Seiji answered with an amused smile. "Go back to sleep."   
        Ryo moved again, trying to find a comfortable position on the hard wooden planks, mumbling, "Mmm, hmm," before drifting back to sleep.   
            Stepping into the bright morning light, Seiji smirked, relieved that Ryo was not awake to see the grin spreading across his face. How is it that Ryo made such a smile spring to his lips?   
  
*****  
        After dozing in and out for about an hour, Ryo finally forced himself to get up.  Groaning, he massaged the tender muscles of his aching back. The floor did not make for an ideal bed. Stretching his arms behind his back until he felt a satisfying pop in his spine, Ryo walked through the back door to find where Seiji had gone.  He wasn't entirely sure if Seiji's unexpected presence was anything more than a dream.    
          
        Seiji was sitting on the steps, staring blankly off into the distance, his violet eyes transfixed. Ryo watched him for a moment, waiting for him to move from the stock stillness he sat in. But Seiji didn't move, he was like a statue of living stone.  
            Frowning, Ryo came up behind him, "Seiji, you okay?"  
        He noticed Seiji flinch as he looked up at him sharply.  It was evident that Ryo had startled him, though Seiji tried his best to hide it.  Sinking down, Ryo sat beside him on the top step, concern creasing his brow.  
        "I'm fine, Ryo," Seiji said.  Ryo was unconvinced, prompting Seiji to add, "Sometimes my mind wanders, that's all." 

Ryo knew he wouldn't get Seiji to admit to anything else, so he let it drop.     
         "I don't think I've ever been able to sneak up on you." Ryo grinned, obviously pleased with himself.   
        Seiji smiled wryly, "Let's not make it a habit." 

  
        They sat in companionable silence, until Seiji, whispered, "Something's not right." He spoke quietly, as if someone were lurking nearby, his words reserved only for Ryo's ear. "Do you feel it, Ryo? Something has drawn us here and I fear it's not Nasuti..." He paused before voicing his unease. "Ryo, you don't think that--."  
        "I don't know," he interrupted. "I never found him, you know, not even a trace of that monster who came through the sky."   
        The two were quiet, both reflecting on all that they had been robbed of that day.   
  
        "I missed you, Seiji," Ryo spoke softly, looking straight ahead, his blue eyes scanning the horizon. "Maybe, more than the others..."

Seeing Seiji again had stirred something deep within him that had been dormant since the swordsman had disappeared five years ago.  It was with difficulty that he tried to express it.    
            Turning his violet eyes on him, Seiji studied Ryo's profile, taken aback by his admission. "I always thought you were glad to be rid of me," he murmured.  
         Ryo looked at him then, shaking his head, "Never."  
            Bringing his hand up slowly, Ryo dared to brush Seiji's hair away from his face, running his fingers through the golden strands. He wanted to see Seiji's eyes, hoping to catch any play of emotion that might sweep through them.   
        They were wide, attentive to anything that might happen.  Light danced in his violet eyes.

Gently, Ryo held his face, caressing Seiji's cheek with his thumb, "...so many things I wanted to say." He leaned forward, hot lips hovering above pale flesh, "...so many regrets."  
            Pressing towards him, Ryo's lips ghosted across Seiji's neck. At such closeness, he could feel Seiji's every move, feel his heart pounding in his chest, and feel his throat tremble as his breath caught there.   
        Hand against his chest, Ryo's fingers deftly released the buttons of Seiji's shirt, and he pulled the material back, exposing Seiji's shoulder. Ryo kissed the white scar that marred the soft skin, wishing he could take back the mark of his affliction.  
  
            Suddenly, Seiji tensed, his body becoming rigid against Ryo. A pained cry escaped him, and Ryo instantly drew away.   
        "I-I'm sorry." Ryo stammered, feeling rejected. "I didn't mean..." He began, moving to get up.   
        "No!" Seiji's hand shot out, snagging his wrist. "…something's wrong."   
         His grip became lax, and Seiji unexpectedly fell forward from the steps, only barely managing to catch himself on his hands and knees on the grass.   
        "Seiji!" Ryo shouted, jumping down from the porch, immediately dropping by his side.  
            Heaving, he coughed up a small amount of blood. As the red liquid dripped from his lips, Seiji sputtered, "...it's not me-- not my pain."  
            "What?" Ryo asked, as he laid a hand on Seiji's back, gently rubbing comfort to his trembling form. "I don't understand."   
        "After all this time," Seiji gasped. "It's Anubis..."  
        "_He's_ doing this to you?"   
        "No, Ryo. He's hurt... he's calling for help."   
        "That's one hell of a call."  
  
            Pushing himself up, sitting back on his heels, Seiji closed his eyes for a moment, concentrating on the pain.   
        Ryo slipped an arm around his shoulders to steady him when he began to sway. "I don't understand what's going on, Seiji."  
        "This has never happened before, not once in all those battles we fought." Seiji disclosed. "I don't know what's going to happen... but I do know where Anubis is, and I must go to him."   
  
        Ryo helped Seiji to his feet, and did not let his grip loosen as the warrior of light led him to a place he never wanted to see again.   
        The clearing was at the edge of the forest, in the field-- in _that_ field. It was the very place where Nasuti had been killed.   
        And there on the ground, lay Anubis-- or what was left of him. He had been slit from sternum to navel and could only lie there in his own life's blood and wait.   
        Ryo hesitated going near Anubis, but Seiji slipped from his grasp and knelt beside the body, on the blood-soaked earth, checking for signs of life.  
        Eyes opened slowly and lips parted, laboring for air. "...knew you'd come..." Anubis rasped.   
            "Shhh... Don't try to talk, just breathe." Seiji admonished.   
  
        Anubis and he were connected through their armors-- the only two warriors to have such a connection. The pain he had experienced before was the shift in balance of the scales of light and darkness.   
            Closing his eyes, Seiji tried to direct his life force to Anubis, but was stopped by his gentle touch.  
        "...too late fo'me..." His speech was starting to slur.   
        "No, I won't let you die, Anubis." Seiji said, although it was fairly obvious that there was very little he could do for him.   
        With wavering strength, Anubis reached up and roughly clasped Seiji's face in his hands, so as to have his full attention. "Listen to me... you know what will happen to you when I...?"  
        Seiji shook his head in affirmation, never taking his focus off the dying warrior.  
        "Then you must take it... now, before he gets it."   
            "Before who gets it Anubis?" Seiji asked gently, "Who did this to you?"   
        It was sheer will that kept him alive now, his desperation to let them know what was happening.   
            "...Arago... he's killed the others... all of them... my comrades are dead..."  
        "No!" Ryo shouted. "No, it can't be!"   
            "Arago..." Anubis continued, barely breathing. "...took their armors..." Struggling against the inevitable, he looked up at Seiji. "...don't let it take you with me... you will bear the weight alone... you have to... Seiji..."  
        The jagged rise and fall of his chest stopped.   
            "Anubis..." Seiji whispered, searching his eyes for any spark of life. Finding them devoid, he whispered, "Oyasumi, Anubis." _Good night._  
        Ryo crouched beside him, reaching across to gently shut his unseeing eyes. He sat back, stunned. "I can't accept this..." Shock kept him in disbelief-- such a horrible thing could not be true.   
            Glancing at Seiji he asked him, "Are you okay?"  
        "I'm so cold..." Seiji murmured sullenly as he wrapped his arms around himself. Ryo could see his breath rebounding in traces of white.   
        His eyes narrowing, Ryo surveyed around them. A thick fog was forming in response to the drastic change in temperature.   
        "Seiji, it _is_ cold," Ryo replied. "Unnaturally cold."  
  
         They watched in horror as Anubis' corpse began to move. 

Seiji looked up quickly, realization dawning. "Ryo, get back!" He shouted, "It's Arago!"   
            Laughter erupted from Anubis, but it was not Anubis' voice that roared through his lips-- Arago now possessed Anubis.   
        The body was wrecked beyond any repair, but Arago pushed it to rise anyway. Blood streamed down the torso as he stood, one arm wrapping around the body protectively, as if to keep the entrails within. Arago soon found that the amount of damage done was too great for him to survive long in this body. He had miscalculated once again how fragile the human form was.  
        The troopers reflexively backed away from Arago, ready to armor up at a moments notice.   
        "Poor Anubis! Thinking he was warning you when all he did was lead you straight to me." Arago hissed.   
  
            Seething with a collected rage, Seiji barely kept his indignation in check-- how dare Arago defile Anubis so.   
        Not as restrained, his fury evident, Ryo screamed, "Give it up, Arago! You will answer for those murders!"  
        "Not before you've joined them in death!" He snarled. It was obvious that Arago's newly acquired body was failing.  
        "I don't know how you got free, but you're going back." Ryo's sense of virtue was stoking his anger.   
        "And you two think you can defeat me?" Arago's deprecating cackle set Ryo off in a rage. Foolishly about to charge forward, Ryo wasn't able take more than a step before Seiji snatched him by the waist.  
        "What do you think you're doing?" Seiji demanded. "He's trying to goad you. Arago won't last long in that body-- we may be able to wait him out."  
  
        "You think you have any chance against me? I possess the power of four armors!" Arago sneered. "Soon, it will be six!"  
         Winds swirled around him as Arago chanted, summoning the four stolen yoroi to him. Tortured cries resonated in the violent gust-- Lady Kayura, Rajura, Naaza, and Anubis screamed out from death against the violation of their lives.  
            Wearing the mixed mass of armors, Arago stepped forward, challenging them to attack. "I'll enjoy beating the life out of you Rekka no Ryo."   
        The temperature was steadily dropping, and resulting mist billowed thickly across the ground, producing eerie forms and shapes in the darkened morning.   
  
        Ryo's defiant temper could not hold out any longer. "_Dao Jin!_" He shouted, the unbridled power of Rekka coursing through him as he transformed.   
        Seiji followed suit, taking his cue from Ryo, though he feared his impetuous actions might get him killed. He didn't always think things through before acting on his judgments.  While he stood at Ryo's shoulder, prepared to defend him to the death, Seiji readied himself to take extra caution watching against Ryo's impulsiveness.   
  
            Though his helmet obscured his face, it was obvious that Arago was amused by their defiance. Swiftly, he charged forward, clashing swords against Ryo's.  
            Counteracting the strike with both his katana blades, Ryo felt the surge of four yoroi powered against him. Despite all his courage and skill, he had to fallback. Ryo blocked Arago's brutal strikes, sparks flying, but lost his footing on the last. He smashed harshly against a tree, splintering the trunk with a loud _crack_. The breath knocked out of him, Ryo struggled to get his disobedient body to stand. Stunned by the combined strength Arago possessed, Ryo braced himself for a shocking blow.   
         In a flash of light, Seiji darted in front of him, impeding the attack with his no-datchi.  
         "Ryo, get up!" He shouted, matching each strike, as if he could beat Arago out of Anubis' body. Making only defensive maneuvers, Seiji coerced Arago to expend his energy and managed to lure him away from Ryo, giving the fire warrior time to recoup.   
        

Arago had to quickly rethink his attack, for his ruined human body was declining and soon he would be unable to control it.   
         "You failed him, Seiji," Arago taunted. "You failed Anubis-- Darkness is _mine_."  
        "Not until I've taken my last breath," Seiji retorted.   
        "That can be arranged!"  
     Arago leapt high in the air, raising his sword to the sky. Calling upon the fused attacks of the seasonal armors, he cast a wave of energy rushing towards him.   
        Seiji knew he could not overcome such an assault, but Kourin might buy him some time at least.   
            "_Raikouzan!_" He shouted, jumping up to meet the ancient warrior, unleashing a power of his own.  
        The two opposing forces impacted with a deafening _bang_, causing a wave of absolute confusion to clash over the earth. Ryo was knocked to the ground as it shook from the collision. Seiji was thrown from the force, slammed hard into the ground and grazed back, into the haze and out of Ryo's view.   
  
        Ryo struggled to his feet, glancing back in the direction Seiji had been projected. It had gotten so cold, that he felt the chill even through his armor of wildfire.  
            Through the mist he saw Arago on the ground, lying trapped, helpless in Anubis' destroyed body. He had depleted more energy than the body could handle and was paying the price.   
        Ryo stood over him, looking down on his mortal enemy, his swords drawn.  
  
        "If I die..." Arago struggled with the words-- the body was fading fast. "If I die, Seiji will die too."  
            "What?" Ryo asked venturing closer. "You expect me to believe that?"   
            "...darkness and light are weights on a balance. When the bearer of darkness dies, he tips the scale-- he _drags_ the bearer of light with him, unless he gives the armor to someone else... There can be no light without the contrast of darkness, and since I now bear darkness..."  

Arago smiled as he watched Ryo's face contort with ire.  
        "Liar," Ryo seethed. _This must be a trick, _he thought._ Right?   
        _"Are you willing to take that chance with his life? I never thought you were _that_ reckless..."  
        Now Ryo wasn't sure... what had Anubis meant when he asked Seiji if he knew what would happen to him when he died? Ryo thought back to earlier that morning-- Seiji had thrown up blood as Anubis was dying-- the Yami Masho's final words replayed through his head, _Don't let it take you with me... Seiji... _  
        _Oh God. _It could be true. This wicked, horrible lie could be a terrible, awful truth.   
Arago gasped, choking on his breath. "I guess Seiji dies too..."  
        "No! Give darkness to me, Arago." Ryo demanded, sword at this throat. "Now."  
        He clenched his hands into fists by his side.  "...you'll have to take it before I give it to you..."  
        Ryo reached forward, mere inches from Arago.   
  
        The world swayed a bit, as Seiji stood. It hurt to breathe and Seiji suspected he might have broken a rib in the fall. Peering through the fog, he saw Ryo hesitate before Arago's prone form.   
        _What is he doing?_ Seiji thought. Then he gasped in understanding-- he knew _exactly_ what Ryo was doing. _  
        _"Ryo, no!" Seiji shouted, running towards him with an outstretched hand. "Don't touch him!"   
        He was too far-- he would never reach Ryo in time.  
  
            Exerting the last measure of his strength, Arago clenched a small dagger from his many armaments and thrust the weapon into Ryo's side. Surprised that the narrow blade could even puncture his armor, Ryo staggered forward, collapsing under the mist.  Laughing, Arago slid his hand through the blood, and Ryo screamed in pain as the transfer began.   
        

Ryo's hoarse cries stopped abruptly as Arago rose from the ground in his new form.   
            Stopping short in his tracks, Seiji uttered, "Oh my God..."  
  
        The warrior that stood before him was the very same that had killed Nasuti all those years ago. It was Arago in possession of Ryo. The black and red armor was a combination of all those he had stolen, merged together in brutality.   
  
        "In this body-- in _this_ armor-- I can do anything." Arago snarled, the words coming through Ryo's mouth. He leered at Seiji, "I'll deal with you in a moment. But first, I must ensure my future!"   
        With a slash of his sword Arago split the sky open-- a seemingly impossible act. But Seiji knew exactly where the portal led.   
        "This is where it all begins, Seiji," Arago hissed, and stepped through the sky.   
  
  
Continued in Chapter Four: Aria

Author's note: Don't worry!  More to come soon I promise ^_^

Thanks to everyone who responded to my story.  Keep on reading it gets even more twisted… er, I mean better, it gets much better :P

~ Li


	4. Chapter Four: Aria

Warning: This story contains _shounen ai_, which implies male/male love, _graphic violence_, and _angst_. Please do not read if such ideas upset you. Please use your good judgment. This fiction also contains _character death_.  
Rated R for violence, strong language and sexual situations.  
  
Disclaimer: "Yoroiden Samurai Troopers" does not belong to me. I am but a lowly slug.  
Any comments or suggestions are welcome as long as they are constructive. Heck, if you just want to chat samurai troopers, feel free to drop me a line.   
Comments can be made at: Li_bell_ule@yahoo.com  
  


View my web page: http://thedragonflysleeps.tripod.com/

A Stitch In Time

Chapter Four: Aria  
  
  


Drawing in irregularly deep breaths, Seiji suddenly found the oxygen much too thin to breathe normally. A tingling in his limbs and a dizziness in his head caused by his rapidly falling blood pressure made the ground rush up to smite him.   
          Face pressed against the earth, Seiji stifled the strong urge to be sick. Numb and trembling from the lack of strength, he couldn't bring himself to move.   
        How had it happened? How in the hell had _this_ happened?  
         His mind was racing, rapidly sewing the sections of truth together to form a patchwork of what had befallen them.   
  
        Arago must have gone after the Masho one by one, isolating one of them, overpowering him, stealing his body and his armor. When it was too late, the others must have realized what had happened, only to be taken in the assault. Anubis had stood no chance against three armors, just as he and Ryo had had no chance against four. Now he alone must face the power of five armors.   
        _I can't possibly defeat him,_ Seiji thought. _Even if I were strong enough, that is still Ryo under there-- he's still alive._   
        "God, it was Ryo..." Seiji whispered. "All those years ago... it was Ryo who killed..." He shook his head, forcing the thought away. "No, it was _Arago_."   
        He couldn't let it happen-- not again.   
  
        Seiji forced himself to stand, as the rived corpse of his polarity lay unmoving beside him. He wasn't sure what to call the emotion he was feeling. It was deeper than remorse, greater than sorrow, yet he felt no tears, no relief from the anguish burning in his chest.   
        There was nothing he could do for Anubis now, and there was no way in hell he would let Ryo suffer the same fate.  
  
        Looking ahead, Seiji noticed that the gateway between the past and the present had not closed yet.   
        _Arago must be planning to return after he's killed Nasuti._ Seiji thought dourly, _Yes, he's coming back to finish me off. How lovely.  
_   
        Knowing that he was running out of precious time, Seiji concentrated on a course of action. This combination of armors produced a power that Seiji was not familiar with-- if it possessed the capability to access the past, then it could conceivably to do anything.   
        Seiji knew he couldn't win, but he had to stop Arago somehow _without_ harming Ryo.   
          Was that possible? Would he have to choose between Ryo's life and Nasuti's? If it came down to that, could he do it?  
        _No,_ he thought. _I can't make that choice._  
        What to _do_ then? Seiji exhaled in frustration. He couldn't waste any more time thinking, something had to be--  
        An idea struck him with such straightforward clarity that it halted his train of thought completely.  
        Seiji didn't have to win.  He had to _prevent_. He had to prevent this horrible reality beyond any measure of a doubt. Suddenly, he _knew_ what had to be done. It was so very simple that he nearly laughed.   
        Breaking into a run, Seiji flung himself through the portal that led to the past.  
  
*****  
  
        The wet snow stung his face, bringing Seiji to awareness as he slowly raised himself from the frozen earth.   
        In the open field voices could be heard echoing in the vast space.   
        _Nasuti._ He thought. _That is Nasuti's voice!_   
        Although he had not heard her speak in five years, he would never forget the sound of her voice.   
        She had no idea what was about to happen to her.   
  
        Looking out towards the clearing, he saw Nasuti shivering in the snow and Arago standing only a few feet in front of her. His younger self was far off in the distance-- he would never make it. Neither would young Ryo. They both had no hope of reaching Nasuti in time.   
  
        Using Kourin to enhance his speed, Seiji advanced towards Arago, catching the ancient warrior's attention.   
        "You said that this is where it all begins," Seiji screamed fiercely.  
        "She will die!" Arago shrieked with rage.   
        "This _ends_ now, Arago!" He retorted, staring into Ryo's clouded, blue eyes. "With me."   
        Swinging at him mightily with his large sword, Seiji did not afford Arago any headway as he came between Nasuti and her death. It took all his strength not to be thrown by the power in Arago's strikes. Blocking the brutal assault, his broken rib hindering his breath against each blow, Seiji realized that prevention was not enough-- something more significant had to been done to drive Arago from this world.   
        If only Seiji could find a way to affect Ryo, to do something that would reach him-- pressure him into action against Arago...  
        "Enough of this foolishness!" Arago snarled. Growing tired of Seiji's resistance, Arago powered up, striking out against him with the cruel combined attack of Yami and Rekka. The blow could not be avoided and hit Seiji hard, sending him hurtling backward. His arm went numb, his no-datchi flying from his fingers.  
        The young Ryo and Seiji were held far at bay by Arago and his unparalleled might. He turned towards Nasuti, who crawled back in desperation.   
  
         _Deterring Nasuti's death was not enough. Victory against Arago is not an option. _Seiji thought, pushing himself up despite the protest of his trembling muscles. _So, _sacrifice_ is the only way. _   
        Damned if he let the same thing happen twice-- there was only one way he could think of that would stop Arago without hurting Ryo _and_ allow Nasuti to live.  
  
         Nasuti cowered as Arago loomed over her. Raising his sword high, letting the fierce blade glisten, Arago brought it down in a violent, driving swing.   
        Without hesitation, Seiji banished his armor and leapt between Nasuti and the blade.   
        The sword impacted through his body, all the way to the hilt, the sharp blade protruding out of his back. He gasped tightly as the blade pierced his abdomen, then collapsed backward to the ground.  
  
        Arago cried out in angered astonishment-- in one swift motion, Seiji had ruined the entire timeline. Nasuti was supposed to die at this precise moment in time. Her death was the cornerstone of all his control on Ryo, as it was her death that planted the darkness in Ryo's heart, enabling Arago to cause a rift between the warriors and possess Ryo's body.   
        And Ryo, stricken by Seiji's impulsive action, found the capacity to rebel against Arago, forcing him out so that he could be at Seiji's side.   
        Without Nasuti's death at that moment, Arago was not strong enough to exist here and did not exist in the future.   
        One minute change in history-- such as an exchange of deaths-- and the prospective fabric of time unraveled and had to be rewoven to integrate the alteration.   
  
        Howling as the wind picked up, Arago was forced out of Ryo's body and out of this reality. The world swayed in confusion, trembling as the order of the history was disrupted.   
        Only the time travelers remained, Nasuti and the past world had vanished in the time distortion.   
        Arago's shriek deviated into Ryo's as the combination of armors was stripped away, revealing Ryo's true armor, Rekka. At this point, Arago was gone, leaving Ryo completely in charge of himself.  
  
        Ryo screamed, his pained cry resonating through the forest, over the sound of the rushing winds.   
        "No! Oh God, Seiji, _no_!"  
        He collapsed to his knees in the bloodstained snow.   
        Getting a firm grip on his own sword, he wrenched the metal blade from Seiji's body. It made a sickening sputter as it exited, blood rushing out through the gaping wound, and Ryo desperately fought back a wave of nausea.   
        The blood melted the snow around him to form red slush. He drew Seiji up into his lap and cradled his head, his blond hair stringy with blood.   
         Cold wind whipped at Ryo's face while the world around him shattered. But Ryo did not care. That hardly mattered now. The only thing that he was concerned with was Seiji and the gruesome amount of blood seeping from his body.   
  
        "Why did you do this?" He asked brokenly, frantically trying to breathe. "_Why?_"   
        Seiji's violet eyes opened slowly and Ryo felt his heart leap in his chest. "Because..." He spoke in barely a whisper. "There is no other way. I have to die..."   
        "Don't talk like that, Seiji," Ryo chided. "You're going to be just fine." Smothering fear formed a tightness in his throat, making it painful to swallow, to speak, to breathe--  
         "You can't leave me..." Ryo gasped despondently, blinking back the hot tears pricking his eyes. Rocking slightly, crushing Seiji to him as if with his strength he could hold onto his life for him, Ryo knew that Seiji was slipping away.   
  
         Lifting a trembling hand, Seiji swept his fingers across Ryo's cheek, wiping the flowing tears from his face.   
        "Please, don't cry... listen to me, Ryo. Nasuti should not have died that day. Arago warped the time line, when he killed her. He disrupted history. The only way to stop him, was to correct it... My death will set everything right again..."   
        "No, there has to be another way--."   
        "Ryo, one of us has to die in her place. Nasuti is the key. Our entire future depends on this instant..."   
        Seiji convulsed violently, expelling the red fluid collecting in his lungs, his blood sputtering up past his lips.   
        "Oh, God..." Ryo cried out, smearing the blood from Seiji's mouth.   
  
        He was holding on, straining to make Ryo understand. It was for Ryo that he lived, suffering through a slow death for just a few moments more with him.   
        Swallowing back the bitter blood threatening to choke the words in his throat, he continued to speak.   
        "H-he gained control... the day Nasuti died... He was the darkness... in your h-heart..." Seiji whispered, raising a bloody hand and pressing it gently against Ryo's chest. "...now he will control you... no longer..."  
  
        His resolve crumbling, Ryo stooped forward, touching his forehead against Seiji's, tears of heartbreaking pain wending down his face, dropping from his cheeks onto Seiji's bloodstained face.   
        Pressing his lips to his friend's forehead, kissing him tenderly, Ryo uttered softly, "Ai shiteiru, Seiji." _I love you, Seiji._  
        Seiji's lips formed words, but he did not have the strength to voice them.   
        "Can you hear me? Seiji?" Ryo asked, his voice tight with emotion. "I love you."  
  
        Shattering pain ruptured in a blinding outburst of whiteness from within himself, spreading from his heart to his limbs and Ryo knew with horrible truth that Seiji was dead.   
  
        The world around them suddenly exploded, everything warped and distorted out of shape. The wind lamented, shrieking its doleful cry as history was rewritten.   
        _Our requiem. _Ryo thought as he hugged Seiji to him.   
        The ground shook violently and Ryo held onto Seiji dearly, but soon could not feel anything as the time continuum rushed over them. It was almost as if mind and body were severed.   
        He began to panic until blessed unconsciousness claimed him.  
  
  
  
  
Continued in Chapter Five: Reunion  
  
*stepping out from hiding place* Don't hurt me! Quick-- go read chapter five before sending hate mail!!! Go, go, go!   
(But please send me some mail-- I'd like to know what you all think.)


	5. Chapter Five: Reunion

Warning: This story contains _shounen ai_, which implies male/male love, _graphic violence_, and _angst_. Please do not read if such ideas upset you. Please use your good judgment.  
Rated R for violence, strong language and sexual situations.  
  
Disclaimer: "Yoroiden Samurai Troopers" does not belong to me. I am but a lowly slug.  
Any comments or suggestions are welcome as long as they are constructive. Heck, if you just want to chat samurai troopers, feel free to drop me a line.   
Comments can be made at: Li_bell_ule@yahoo.com  
  


View my web page: http://thedragonflysleeps.tripod.com/

A Stitch In Time

Chapter Five: Reunion   
  
  
  
        A blanket of warmth enveloped him as awareness returned to his previously unconscious body. Blue eyes fluttered opened slowly, reclosed tightly against the scintillation of white light, then cautiously reopened to greet the sun.   
         Ryo lay dazed, his tired body crumpled exhaustedly on yellowing leaves of grass. His limbs were too heavy to lift, numb, perhaps from laying in one position for too long. Somewhere, in the recesses of his fog laden brain, he knew that was not why he could move.   
  
        "Silly boy, falling asleep in the field."   
        The gilded voice sent waves of champagne gold crashing upon his ears. Sparks flew inside his mind, sending an urgent need for his eyes to focus.   
        "Come on then," the golden utterance prompted. Fingertips of velvet stroked his cheek. "Ryo, are you all right?"  
         It sent a jolt to his brain.   
         "Nasuti?" An impossibility escaped his lips. Sprawled on his back, Ryo watched with bewildering detachment as the object of his obsession cocked her head to one side and smirked.  
        "None other." Her hand, maddeningly soft, rested carelessly on his face.   
        Finding use of his limbs once again, Ryo brought his hand up to meet hers, then slowly slid it up the length of her arm. He found himself sitting up, gripping her shoulders tightly.   
        "Nasuti."   
        Surprise flickered briefly across her pretty features, but was soon replaced with a coy, discerning smile.   
          Proof of her existence was sealed with a sweet kiss on her cheek and a crushing embrace.  
         "Must have been some dream..." She muttered as he pulled away from her.   
  
         Ryo's memory was sluggishly returning to him fragments at a time, and he was still missing considerable pieces of the puzzle.   
        Nasuti read his confusion, but could not possibly understand how to make the pieces fit.   
        "Are we dead, Nasuti? Are we dead?" Ryo implored.   
        Had she not known, on some basic, instinctual level that Ryo was struggling to comprehend something important, Nasuti would have teased him, answering that they had indeed died and gone to heaven.   
        But, as she knew the warrior of virtue so well, instead replied, "No, of course not!"   
        "Then... then this is real?"  
         "Certainly it is!" She snapped, suddenly irate that her emotions were being toyed with. "Ryo, what is wrong with you?"  
        Her biting tone crashed garishly against his ears, shattering the once gold inflection. Flinching away from her, Ryo didn't understand what was going on, his mind smitten with turmoil.   
        Regretting her harshness, Nasuti asked him, "Is something the matter?"   
        "No," came the whispered reply. "I'm just tired, that's all."   
         More pieces of his fragmented memory were returning.   
  
        "Let's go back, then." She said pressing the back of her hand against his forehead. "You've been in the sun too long."   
        She stood, offering to help him up. Ryo took her outstretched hand tightly and wondered what sort of derangement could have caused him such a nightmare-- for that surely is what these memories were. Nasuti was _not_ dead.   
        As the two made their way through the field of flowers and wild grass, Nasuti bent down and pulled a bunch of wild, red flowers from the earth. Red petals fell down the yellowing grass, like blood drops weeping in blond hair.  
        A horror so cold came over him, it froze the warm blood flowing through Ryo's veins to a halt. His memory was overwhelmed with the brazen, metallic scent of life.   
  
        "Ryo?"  
        He couldn't move as the final pieces fell into place-- as the whole truth suddenly scourged him.   
        "What's wrong?" Nasuti implored, knowing full well that she wasn't going to like the answer.   
         "Oh no..." Ryo whispered as he searched along the armor link and found that Kourin was not present.   
        Realization stole his breath away. Kourin was-- _gone?_ Did that mean that Seiji was--   
        "Ryo?" Nasuti asked again, turning back to face him. "What _is_ the matter with you?"  
        A dull ache formed behind his eyes-- he could hardly discern one thought from another. "Seiji..."   
        Nasuti frowned, and put her hands on her hips. "What about him?"  
  
        Ryo's eyes were closed in tight concentration, his right hand balled into a fist held over his heart. His armor orb illuminated through his clenched fingers, glowing bright red.   
        _No, not completely gone... _Ryo thought. _But so faint-- _  
        Suddenly, his orb broke free of his palm, hovering briefly in front of his eyes before it shot off in a trailing flow of red luminescence.   
        Ryo followed after it, knowing that the orb was seeking it's missing bond, the armor of Kourin.   
  
        Long, yellowing blades of grass bowed to his speed as he ran to the figure sprawled lifelessly in the distance.   
        Ryo stooped to his knees beside the body, tears blurring his vision.   
        "Seiji."   
        Pulling the fallen warrior into his lap for the second time, Ryo prayed "God _please_..."   
        Seiji did not stir as he was held. Ryo ran his trembling hands along Seiji's torso, checking for the mortal blow. His body was intact, no gaping wounds, no spilled blood, but there was no apparent life in him.   
        Breathlessly, Nasuti came up beside them. "Ryo, what--." She stopped short when she saw Seiji lying unconsciously in Ryo's panicked embrace. Her hands came up to her face to stifle a surprised gasp.   
        "Is-is he--."  
        "Nasuti, get the others." His voice was low, unsuccessfully hiding his sorrow.   
         "Oh, God," She whispered, stunned. "How did this--."  
         "Go now!" Ryo shouted, his voice quivering.   
        She nodded slightly before running off towards the house.   
  
        Ryo clutched Seiji tightly, murmuring tenderly against his temple, "You can't be dead... please, you can't be..."   
        The warrior of light remained still despite Ryo's desperate pleas.   
        Lips resting gently, touching silken wisps of blond hair, above his ear, Ryo spoke softly. "You can't leave me now, Seiji. Do you hear me?"   
         What kind of cruel irony was it that he had to trade one loved one for another?   
        Suddenly furious, Ryo screamed, "Damn you! Abandoning me twice! You can't leave me--."   
        His face crumpled with emotion. "God, I can't take it." He breathed, gathering Seiji firmly to him. "How can I ever live with myself knowing that I'm the one who killed you? I'm the one... "  
        Guilt swept over him, leaving a raw bitterness that froze Ryo to the marrow. Seiji was dead because of him.   
        With one hand buried in Seiji's golden hair, the other wrapped securely around his body, Ryo rocked back and forth like a child in agony, lost in despair, unknowing how to get past this tragedy.  
  
        Fingers consolingly ran through Ryo's black hair, to rest at the base of his neck. "...I'm here."  
        Startled to feel Seiji's body moving against him, Ryo held him out at arms length.   
         Two hauntingly beautiful, violet eyes stared back at him.   
         "_Seiji_..." Ryo gasped.   
        "Are you all right, Ryo?" Seiji's voice was subdued, his mind still reeling. "Arago didn't hurt you...?"   
        Relief sucked the strength from him, and Ryo sagged forward, only managing to whisper, "Thank God... thank God..." Tears spilled down Ryo's face as he gave silent prayer for this miracle.   
        Just as Nasuti's simple caress had woken Ryo, it had taken Ryo's familiar touch to awaken Seiji from the clutches of such a deep sleep.   
        It seemed that events of the past had changed so greatly that as the time continuum worked itself out, Seiji's life had been spared.   
  
        Seiji sat back a little, arm draped across his stomach where Ryo's sword had run him through. He couldn't tell if it actually hurt or if he was merely remembering the pain. Either way, it took a lot of concentration to keep his breathing even.   
        Ryo placed his hand over Seiji's and murmured, "I'm sorry."   
        "No, Ryo..." Seiji shook his head, trying to recall. "It was _my_ choice, not yours."  
        "_I_ killed you!" Ryo shouted, sickened with himself. "_I killed you_..."   
        "You did no such thing," Seiji said steadily. "Don't do this to yourself, Ryo."  
         "Don't do this to myself?" Ryo asked incredulously, examining Seiji through maudlin eyes. An ethereal beauty still emanated, like an aura around him, yet Ryo knew something was missing from Seiji's violet eyes. A light had been stifled, snubbed out, possibly forever.   
         "I've hurt _you_ in a way that can never be healed." Ryo remarked morosely. Covering his face with his hand to hide his emotion, Ryo lost it, tears streaking down his cheeks. "I should have been stronger! I-I couldn't stop myself... I _murdered_ you with my own hands."   
  
         No amount of assurances would get through Ryo's thick skull, Seiji was certain of that. This situation required a bit of finesse and a softer approach.   
        "I died. And yes, it was by your hands, but it was not by _you_."  
        Seiji put his arms around him, guiding Ryo to his shoulder. As Ryo acquiesced, Seiji felt the warm wetness of his tears as they seeped through the thin material of his shirt.  
         "Ryo, listen to me," he spoke quietly in his ear, lips barely hovering over the lobe. "Anything I've lost is not because of you."  
        "But you have lost something..." Ryo mumbled into his shoulder. Being the warrior of virtue had its downfalls and this was one of them. Always wanting to help, to make better, to be righteous-- Ryo suffered greatly when he could not undo wickedness against another, especially when he felt that he was the cause of it.   
        "You make me strong, Ryo," Seiji admitted quietly. "And I know that it will be you who strengthens me once again."   
        Feeling Ryo's entire body seize, his breathing suspended for a sheer moment before returning to a more normal rate, Seiji persisted, "You have to let this go. Arago will have won if you don't."   
  
        Pausing for a long moment, Ryo found solace in Seiji's soothing presence, in the steady and satisfying drumming of his heart.   
        "How do you stay so calm?" Ryo asked as he listened to his gentle heartbeat.   
         "Practice," Seiji chuckled. "Lots and lots of practice."  
        Sitting back, Ryo pulled himself away from Seiji's warmth, suddenly self-conscious. "Look what I've done to your shirt," he said brushing his fingers over the wet stain his tears had made.  
        "Don't worry about it."  
        Ryo smiled meekly at his comment, but then frowned, reaching for the collar of Seiji's shirt, and folded back the white material to expose his shoulder.   
         "Seiji... your scar is gone."  
        "What?" He demanded, staring down at his body. Sure enough, the white scar that had marred the skin for five years had indeed disappeared. "It... it _is_ gone." Seiji breathed.   
        "By stopping Nasuti's death, we altered history-- so that must mean a great many other things have changed too." Ryo smiled.   
        "A butterfly flaps its wings and half a continent away the weather changes..." Seiji mumbled.   
        "Seiji, that means we never fought-- that means, you never went away! Have we stayed together for all these years?" Ryo asked. "The six of us together in Nasuti's house?"  
        "I don't know... that's not the past I remember..."  
        "Seiji, do you feel--."  
        "Yes," he breathed, "I feel the others coming."  
        Squinting in the sun, Ryo strained to see past Seiji's shoulder. "That looks like Touma! The last time I saw him was five years ago..."   
  
        "Ryo!" Hard of breath, the blue haired warrior fell beside them. Touma gasped, "Seiji..."   
        He grabbed his roommate by the shoulder, relief smoothing his features. "Seiji, you're not--."  
         "Touma..." Seiji whispered simply staring at him with amazement. He couldn't help but stare-- he hadn't see Touma since he was fourteen. 

"Nasuti said that you--."  
        "I know she did," Ryo interrupted. "We have _so_ much to talk about."   
  
         "Is everything all right?" A quiet voice asked.   
        Spinning around, Ryo looked up, disbelieving his eyes. "Shin..."  
        Tall, with a gentle smile on his face, he asked, "Ryo, what's the matter?"  
         "You know me?"  
        Shin was a bit startled, replying, "Of course I do."  
        Springing to his feet, Ryo pulled Shin into his arms. "You know me!" He exclaimed, delighted. "You're okay-- everyone is okay!"   
  
        "Whoa, dude, what is up with Ryo?" Shuu remarked, grinning at Ryo's outward display of joy.  
        "Shuu! You're here too!"  
        "Course! Why wouldn't I be?" Shuu asked. "Man, he is one fruit short of a basket." He commented, whistling.   
        For some reason, Ryo found this hilarious. "You don't know the half of it, Shuu!" He couldn't help but grin, the five where whole again.   
  
        "Ryo, what on earth is going on?" Nasuti, who did not have the benefit of an armor orb, asked as she finally caught up to the warriors. "What is this all about?"   
        Not quite suppressing his startled gasp, Seiji whispered, "Nasuti..."   
        She turned towards him, a vision of perfect health, with a questioning eyebrow raised-- she couldn't help but feel a prick of annoyance that the boys were acting so strangely around her.   
        Blinking his tears back into submission, Seiji said, "It is good to see you, Nasuti."   
        Nasuti was about to comment when the giant roar of a large cat interrupted her. Byakuen bounded through the forest and leapt at Ryo. Unprepared for the white tiger, Ryo found himself lying flat on his back, his face wet with tiger drool.   
        A small, hysterical sob escaped the warrior of virtue as he threw his arms around his beloved white tiger.  
        "I think... I think this is a little too much..." Ryo said, his breath coming in short gasps.   
         "It's okay, Ryo. Just breathe," Seiji commanded, helping him to sit up. "You'll be okay."   
         "Ryo, what's going on?" Shuu asked, confused. "Seiji, what's the matter with him?"   
        Turning to his four friends, Seiji realized that they were strangers now. Five years still distanced them.  Though it was apparent that the lives of the other troopers had changed, for the better he hoped, his and Ryo's had not, as the memory still lived on in them.       

"It has been a long, long time for us. But you wouldn't know that, and I suppose it's better this way." Seiji said. As he stood, he pulled Ryo up with him. "Let's go back to the house. We have much to discuss."   
  
  
  
  
  
  
There is much more to this story!  
Please stay tuned for future installment in this series :)   
E-mail me with comments! Li_bell_ule@yahoo.com 

Tell me what you thought.  I'm dying to know! 

Thanks, 

~Li


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